Needle bar for straight knitting machines



Aug. 30, 1932.

K. R. LIEBERKNECHT 1,874,108

NEEDLE BAR FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 28, 1931 J Flg.5 1 19.4

2/ I I I L) 75 xx 6 I n venior' i 9 F ig. 2 Karl Richard Lieberknechi' B 5 his aHor/zeys MMJM 1 ticularl Patented Aug. 30, 1932 PATENT OFFICE I KARL BICHABD LIEBEBKNEOHT, OBERLUNGWITZ, GERMANY, ASSJIGNOR '1'0 m1.

LI'EBEBKNEGHT G. M. B. 3., 0]! OIBERLUNG'WI'I'Z, GERMANY, A ODBPOBATION OI GERMANY NEEDLE BAR FOB STRAIGHT KHITTTNG MACHINES Application filed October 28, 1931, Serial no.

This invention relates to the needle bar of a straight knitting machine and more arto a straight knitting macl iine adapte to produce a complete stocking on I, the one machine by the employment of a needle bar having a pivoted section which can be swung out of the row of needles.

While in making any one stocking it is preferable to keep the width of the swinging 10, portion of the needle bar of this type of machine of an unchanged width, it is desirable to have this swinging portion adjustable in order that the machine may knit diiferent sizes of stockings. For a process for making 15. both the leg and foot of a stocking on one machine, reference is made to m copending application Serial No. 558,811, led August 22, 1931, and German Pat. No. 543,597 of Feb. 8, 1932, corresponding thereto.

According to the present invention it is possible to make stockings of various sizes in their entirety on the one machine by having the pivoted portion of the needle bar of a variable width. To this end separate additional needle carriers of oneor more needles each are inserted between the ivoted section of the needle bar and the fixe main portion of that bar, and these separate carriers can be coupled up at will with either the rfiain swinging section or the fixed portion of the needle bar. It is an advantage to have these needle carriers themselves removable .and arranged so that they revolve on the same axis 'as that of the pivoted portion of the needle bar. These additional needle carriers are made as thin as possible so that there may be a reat variety of width of work available. %he additional carriers are made readily detachable to facilitate easy and rapid replacement if the needles become damaged. All these advantages are obtained by making these separate carriers in the formof pivoted sha es which are merely hooked on to the sha t. It will be understood of course that various shapes of carriers and various manners of attachment are possible. In the'drawing,

Figure 1 is a front view of a needle bar made according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the 571357, and in Germany October '25, 1980.

needle bar at right angles to the bar, taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 in the direction of the small arrows;

Fi re 3 is a side view of one of the addit1on needle carriers;

Figure 4 is an edge needle carrier; while Figure 5 is a plan view of the needle bar shown in Figure 1. i

Referring now to the drawing,

view of an additional the usual 'rear bed 2 is mounted on the machine frame 1 with the sinker head 3, the sinkers 4 and the verge plate 5 carried thereon in the usual manner. The knocking-over comb 6 is fastened to a frame 7 which in turn is united to a lever B. This lever B is on the knockingover shaft 9 and is moved by it so that the knocking-over comb 6 receives the usual vertical motion at the proper time.

In front of the knocking-over comb 6 is located the needle bar which comprises two relatively fixed side portions 10 and 11 and a center portion 12 which can be swung out of line. In order that the width of the pivoted middle portion 12 may be altered at w1ll, needle carriers 13 are mtroduced between the fixed or main portions 10 and 11 and the pivoted middle portion 12.

The two fixed portions 10 and 11 are connected on their rear faces by a rail 14. Formed on these fixed side portions 10 and 11 are small e es or lugs 15, 16. Fastened to the front 0 the pivoted middle portion 12 is a similar horizontal rail 17 extendin laterally beyond the sides of the pivoted mi dle portion and overlappin but below the eyes 15 16. This rail 17 t erefore lies in front of all the additional pivoted needle carriers 13 as well as the pivoted middle portion 12. When the pivoted middle portion 12 with its rail'17 is swung outwardly to idle position, as shown. for mstanee in Figure 2, the separate additional needle carriers 13 also tend to be pulled out owing to the tension of the fabric on them and to come torest a inst this front rail 17 However if thesize of stocking which isibein knit doesn'ot call for the maximum num r of additional iiidividual needle carriers being made idle along with the pivoted center portion 12 of the are pushed completel which the side needle bar, some of the individual needle carriers 13 can be held in line with the main side portions 10 and 11 of the needle bar by means of bolts 18, 19 which move longitudinally of the needle bar through the eyes or lugs 15, 16 in the side portions 10 and 11. Such Individual needle carriers 13 as are held by these bolts 18, 19 are held against the back rail 14 and prevented from swinging out. If it desired to increase the widt of the pivoted needle portion the bolts 18, 19 are moved laterally further outward so that a .greater number of the individual pivoted needle carriers 13 swing free of the bolts and can move out to the position permitted by the front rail 17. If a narrower middle portion is desired the bolts are pushed further inward so that a greater number of individual needle carriers are clamped between the back rail 14 and the bolts 18, 19. The maximum width of ivoted center ortion attainable is when t e bolts 18 an 19 apart and all the pivoted individual nee le carriers are free to swing with the center ortion 12. The minimum width is attaine when the bolts 18 and 19 cover all the individual pivoted needle carriers and only the middle portion 12 of the needle bar is able to swing outwardly.

As already mentioned, the number of individual ivoted needle carriers 13 inserted betweenthe fixed portions 10 and 11 and the pivoted middle portion 12 is entirely a matter ofchoice, being variable from one individual pivoted needle carrier on each side of the middle portion 12 to a construction in ieces 10 and 11 are almost entirely replace by the individual pivoted needle carriers.

As already mentioned, the individual pivot/ed needle carriers 13 may be of any desired shape thou h it is advantageous to use the pendulum-like form shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, because this form is one which is easy to replace. The needles 20 may be soldered mtg the needle carriers 13 or cast or clamped in or fastened in any other desired manner and the number of needles in each individual pivoted needle carrier is also arbitrary, it being possible to put one or more in each carrier.

During knitting of the leg the pivoted middle portion 12 of the needle bar is held in ali ment with the two fixed portions 10 and 11%; means of latch detent springs 25 fastened on lugs 23 which in turn areintegral with the fixed portions 10 and 11 of the needle bar. These latch detent springs 25 engage recesses 27 at the ends of rail 17 of the pivoted middle section 12. When the inste Rprtion of the stocking is reached the need is ar is swung out of line, the entire row' of needles bein in line at all other times. The detent springs 25 arethen released from the recesses 27 for this purpose and the pivoted bar is swung outward until the detent springs enga e recesses 28. This is during the making of the heel tabs. In this way the middle portion 12 and the individual pivoted needle carriers 13 which are not clamped between the rail 14 and the bolts 18 and 19 are swung out of position and held as described in my co ending application serial No. 558,- 811 and erman Pat. No. 543,597 of Feb. 8, 1932,.corresponding thereto. With the detent springs engaging recesses 28 the heel tabs are partly knit the fabric is then knocked off from the needles, assuming a folded position between the sinkers and knocking over tabs. After twenty or twenty five courses are knit in this manner, the detent springs 25 are entirely disengaged from the rail 17 so that the pivoted section under the influence of the tension of the fabricis gradually swung outwardly as the heel tabs increase in length. When the heel tabs are of the desired length, they are pressed ofl' andthe pivoted 'middle section 12 and the individual pivoted needle carriers 13 are pushed back into alignment with the fixed portions 10 and 11 of the needle bar. The lever 21 serves to roduce the vertical motion of the needle an and the fork 22 controls the horizontal motion as usual.

Modifications which do not depart from the scope of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a straight knitting machine having a. needle bar, a pivoted needle bar portion and a fixed needle bar portion, in combination with one or more separate additional needle carriers located between said pivoted and fixed needle bar portions.

2. In a straight knitting machine having aneedle bar, a pivoted needle bar portion, a

fixed needle bar portion and one or more additional needle carriers pivotally mounted .between said parts and adapted to act as part of either portion, in combination with means adizlpted to couple said additional carriers to sai fixed portion.

3. In a straight knitting machine having a needle bar, a pivoted needle bar portion, a fixed needle bar portion and a plurality of additional needle carriers pivotally mounted between said portions,in. combination with means on said fixed portion adapted to couple to said fixed bar portion a variable number of said additional carriers.

4. In a straight knitting machine having a needle bar, a pivoted needle bar portion, a fixed needle bar portion and a plurality of additional needle carriers pivoted between said pivoted and fixed portions on the same axis as, and adapted to act as part of, said pivoted portion; m combination with locking means on said fixed portion adapted to leave said additional carriers free to act as part of said pivoted portion or to couple one or more of said additional carriers to said fixed portion.

5. In a straight knitting machine having a pivoted needle bar portion, a fixed needle ar portion and a plurality of additional needle carriers between said pivoted and fixed portions pivoting about the same axis as the pivoted portion and adapted to act as part c of either portion, said additional needle car- CERTIFICATE or CORREGTION.

Patent No. 1,874,108. August 30, 1932.

KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the drawing, Fig. 2, the numeral "7" for the triangular cross-hatch member, should read "6"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of December, A. D. 1932.v

M. J. Moore. Acting Commissioner of Patents.

(Seal) of said additional carriers to said fixed portion.

5. In a straight knitting machine having a pivoted needle bar portion, a fixed needle ar portion and a plurality of additional needle carriers between said pivoted and fixed portions pivoting about the same axis as the pivoted portion and adapted to act as part c of either portion, said additional needle car- CERTIFICATE or CORREGTION.

Patent No. 1,874,108. August 30, 1932.

KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the drawing, Fig. 2, the numeral "7" for the triangular cross-hatch member, should read "6"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of December, A. D. 1932.v

M. J. Moore. Acting Commissioner of Patents.

(Seal) 

